Adenium is a genus of flowering plants in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1819. It is native to Africa and to the Arabian Peninsula.

Cultivation

Adenium obesum is grown as a houseplant in temperate regions. Numerous hybrids have been developed. Adeniums are appreciated for their colorful flowers, but also for their unusual, thick caudices. They can be grown for many years in a pot and are commonly used for bonsai.

Because seed-grown plants are not genetically identical to the mother plant, desirable varieties are commonly propagated by grafting. Genetically identical plants can also be propagated by cutting. However, cutting-grown plants do not tend to develop a desirable thick caudex as quickly as seed-grown plants.

The sap of Adenium boehmianum, A. multiflorum, and A. obesum contains toxic cardiac glycosides and is used as arrow poison throughout Africa for hunting large game.

There are single, double, triple and quarto petal varieties of various colours in this collection.

One thing with these plants, you never no what colour you'll get !

Germination between 50% and 65% is what to expect.

How To Grow

Step 1

Fill a seed tray with a mixture of equal parts peat moss, coarse sand and organic compost or sterile potting soil. Make a 3- to 4-inch layer of the potting mixture in the seed tray.

Step 2

Spread the Adenium obesum seeds on the potting mixture surface, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Barely cover the seeds with the potting mixture.

Step 3

Water the Adenium obesum seeds to thoroughly moisten the potting mixture in the seed tray. Water the seeds once every week, only when the potting mixture is almost dry.

Step 4

Maintain air temperatures around the Adenium obesum seeds of 28 degrees celcius. Move the seed tray into full sunlight when the seeds germinate and begin to sprout.

Step 5

Transplant the Adenium obesum seedlings when they have at least three sets of "true" leaves, which are the larger leaves that emerge after the smaller seedling leaves. You can usually transplant the seedlings about one month after planting the seeds.